Devils Lake arts festival announced

An inaugural festival celebrating the arts is being planned for the first day of summer at Manitou Beach.

The Devils Lake Festival of the Arts is scheduled to take place along the resort’s business block on Walnut Street on June 21, said spokeswoman Monica Clark.

The Manitou Beach Historic Renovation Society, the nonprofit organization hosting the event, was recently awarded a $4,000 grant from the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs to help fund the festival.

Devils Lake Art on the Boulevard, a series of activities in the immediate area around Walnut Street, will be part of the festival. It will tentatively open at 10 a.m. with Onsted Elementary students singing the national anthem. A flag will be raised by local veterans.The art fair itself will be open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Clark said.

Featured artists and performers at the Devils Lake Art on the Boulevard part of the festival include Colors the Clown from Manchester, hammered dulcimer player and teacher Pennye Scheiber from Manitou Beach, and artist Jean Lash of Tecumseh.

The art fair portion of the festival will be juried, Clark said. A panel of independent jurors will select work for recognition that is both creative and distinctive.

There will also be a stage to feature local entertainment for children and families. A vocal minstrel group from Siena Heights University has been secured to wander through the community and put on impromptu performances.

The day’s activities will conclude with a live band in the evening, Clark said.

The planned festival is one of several ways area residents and investors are looking to revive the once popular lake resort.

Much of the area in and around the former Manitou Beach business district has been rebuilt or renovated over the past four years. The Manitou Bar and Grill was rebuilt following a 2010 fire, and the former post office building was renovated and is occupied by The Buoy at the Lake. Devils Lake View Living occupies a newly constructed building in the style of a Cape Cod lighthouse, and a structure set to house Jenni’s Coffee and Cream is under construction and is expected to open in May. A welcome sign has been added and new trees planted at the entrance to the community as well.

Additional participants are being sought for the festival. To be a part of the festivities or for more information, call Clark at 517-605-2449.